Page 31 of #Beautiful

“I’m not great with words so I’ll try to keep this short. I love you. I’ve loved you since you walked into my life. I don’t care if it’s tomorrow or twenty years from now, when you’re ready, I want to marry you and spend the rest of my life just trying to be the man you deserve. Will you marry me?”

I smile, nod vigorously. “Yes.”

Declan plucks the ring he’s holding from the box and slides it on my finger before almost vaulting off the floor and scooping me up in his arms, spinning around as he kisses me. This is what truly makes me laugh, and as we slow, the claps and cheers from our family finally register. For a brief moment, I worry about my dad, but my eyes find him and he’s smiling so big, standing with Declan’s parents.

“Did you ask my dad?”

Declan cups the side of my face and kisses me softly. “Of course, I did. Not because anyone’s answer but yours mattered, but because I knew me asking would matter to you.”

And that, right there, is every reason in the world why I said yes - because Declan isn’t the perfect man, but he is the perfect man for me.

Chapter 26 - Declan

Tonight has been the best Christmas Eve in forever. It’s technically Christmas Day since it’s well after midnight, but Lena, Candice, Jackson, Darcy, and I are all in the basement, piled on the floor with leftover munchies from upstairs, a roaring fire going, all the fixings for S’mores, and thanks to Darcy, we all have matching plaid Christmas pajamas. Because only my sister would want us all to match PJs in adulthood.

Lena had a S’more when we first sat down, but that was it. She finished half and dry heaved once before passing it to me. I think sweets are going to be off the table for a while with her body trying to adjust to the insane hell she put it through. She did great at dinner tonight, though. I noticed her dad and mine glancing at her every so often throughout the meal, but she ate as normal, smiled and laughed, seemed to have a great time - and after dinner, there wasn’t any running off to the bathroom or anything like that. She literally left my side once saying she had to pee, and was back in less than fifteen minutes, so I really do feel good about tonight.

And - she agreed to marry me. I can’t help but smile as the fire light shimmers off her ring while she, Candice, and Darcy play Rummy right in front of the fire. Jackson and I are both in some weird content stage. We’re not really talking, but watching the girls and listening to them instead. I don’t think either of us feels the need to fill the space with our idle chat about whatever. We’ve known each other our whole lives, and one of the best things about Jackson is that he’s content just being around his friends. He’s never needed to be center of attention, sometimes avoiding being noticed at all costs, and he doesn’t ever make things feel awkward.

“Congrats, bro,” he says, interrupting my thoughts.

“Thanks,” I say, keeping my eyes on my fiancée. “Kinda crazy, huh?”

Jackson shrugs as I turn my head in his direction. “Not to me. If two people were ever made for each other, it’s you and her.”

Reaching over, I clap him on the shoulder. “And you’ll be my best man, right? Can’t imagine having anyone else standing next to me.”

Jackson’s eyes widen. “You serious, man?”

I chuckle. “Yeah, I’m serious. Who the hell else would I ask? We’ve been best friends forever. You are literally the closest thing I have to a sibling besides Darcy.”

“And he doesn’t want me as his best woman because I’d look better in a suit,” my sister quips, causing the group to erupt with laughter.

“Plus,” Lena says as she picks up a car from the pile, “if Candice is going to be my Maid of Honor, she needs someone to walk with her.” Lena lays three cards down and then her final one in the discard pile. “I’m out. Again.”

“Dammit,” Darcy grumbles.

“Are you serious, Lena?” Candice snaps, staring at her.

“I mean, yeah. I told you I was good at this game.”

Candice playfully throws her remaining cards at Lena. “Not the game. The Maid of Honor thing?”

Lena tilts her head and rolls her eyes. “Duh.”

“Oh my gosh,” Candice screeches, launching herself at Lena and hugging her around the neck. “Oh my gosh, yay!”

Lena laughs and pats Candice on the back. “No wedding if you suffocate me, though.”

Candice lets her go, and the girls fall into another fit of laugher. The next thing Jackson and I know, the cards are put away and the girls have their phones propped up, each with something wedding related on it. I smile, Jackson and I both chuckling as they excitedly go through off-the-fly ideas.

“Do I get a say in any of this?”

“I’ve seen you try to match, Declan, so no,” Candice says without looking at me.

Lena chuckles more, shaking her head. “We have plenty of time, and of course you get a say, despite your apparent lack of visual prowess when it comes to design - as per Candice’s thoughts. It’s our wedding, not just mine.”

Getting off my butt, I literally crawl on my hands and knees to Lena, leaning over her shoulder and kiss her. “And that is exactly why I’m marrying you. Because you are the most amazing woman I’ve ever met.” Getting up, I stretch and look back down at the girls. “Y’all know it’s after two in the morning, right?”

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